Read without ads and support Scribd by becoming a Scribd Premium Reader.
See Premium Plans
 
 1
T  T  h h e e T  T  o o r r a a h h a a n n d  d  o o u u r r D D i i e e t t  
By Rood Crew Commentator, Glenn McWilliams
For every new change in our life and understanding there must be a new beginning. As the message ofthe Torah begins to convict the heart and mind of a Believer the question of where to begin is sure toarise. Adjusting one’s schedule to accommodate and observe the Sabbath seems to be the first change.The second point where change most frequently occurs is the diet of the sincere Believer. There is greatdebate concerning what the Torah teaches about the Believer’s diet. With careful study I believe that wecan unravel some of the mystery and settle much of the controversy concerning this vital issue.The first diet mentioned in the Torah is found as part of the creation narrative. Realize that what isrecorded in these opening verses of the book of Genesis concern not only the Believer, but all ofmankind. Just as the Sabbath was instituted at creation and therefore applies to all of creation, so toodoes this teaching about man’s diet. Genesis 1:29-30 teaches that the first diet was a vegetarian diet.
“And God said, Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the faceof all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shallbe for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat.” (Genesis 1:29-20).
For clarity, please understand that the word “meat” in the King James Version of the Bible is an Englishtranslation of the Hebrew word “oklah” (Aleph, Kof, Lamed, Hey) which simply means food. Oklahmay at times include animal flesh but refers also to grains, flour, meal, and vegetables. We may safelyteach from this passage that the diet of man as created in the image of God is one of grasses, herbs,grains, seeds, and fruit. Notice also that this was to be the diet of the animals living in the garden aswell.Death was not a part of the original creation. Only after the fall does death enter into human history.Genesis 3:17-19 records the deadly consequences of the fall of Adam and how it relates to “eating.”
“And unto Adam he said, Because thou has hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and haseaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed isthe ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. Thorns alsoand thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shall eat the herb of the field; In thesweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” 
Even though death has entered the world through the fall, we note that God still refers to the diet of manas being from the ground. This passage goes on to specifically mention bread and herbs of the field.Genesis 3:21 records the first death in the garden;
“Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.” 
Here the Torah states that an animal was slain to cover the shame and nakedness of Adam and Eve.With this sacrifice we need realize that the animal’s death was only for a covering and not forconsumption. That animal sacrifice was for making atonement is made very clear in the book of
 
 2
Leviticus. The Hebrew word for atonement is KePHaR (Kof, Pey, Resh) and means to cover. Theshedding of blood in the sacrificial system is to cover sin or make atonement for the sinner. The Torahteaches;
“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to makean atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for your souls.”(Lev.17:11).
The next place we see the ritual sacrifice of an animal is in the offering made by Abel.
“And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground as offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering. But unto Cain and to his offering hehad not respect. And Cain was very wroth and his countenance fell.”(Genesis 4:3-5).
While Abel is clearly described as a keeper of sheep, there is nothing in this passage that tells us thattheir diet had changed from the original vegetarian diet. It is possible that the sheep were being raisedfor wool and milk and not meat. Clearly animal sacrifice was considered the acceptable offering butnothing states that it had become an acceptable diet. This story of Cain and Abel is most often told toshow that there is no atonement without blood. It is often asserted that Abel’s offering was acceptablebecause his offering pointed to the Messiah who would shed his own blood to atone for our sins. Bysacrificing a lamb Abel demonstrated his faith in the work and grace of God. While Cain on the otherhand offered the work of his own labor by demonstrating his faith in his own self-righteousness. Thisstory teaches that we are saved by grace through the death of the Messiah and not by works ofrighteousness. I believe that this is a true and faithful understanding of the story. To explain further, Ibelieve that Abel killing an animal was a remembrance of God mercifully killing an animal to coverAdam and Eve’s sin. On the other hand Cain’s offering brought from the labor of his hands was aremembrance how man must now labor for food where once the garden produced sustenance for all ofman’s needs. While we may agree that means by which man acquired food changed after the fall there isstill nothing indicating that the creator had changed man’s intended vegetarian diet.It is not until ten generations later, in the story of Noah, that we again hear words concerning a change inman’s diet. Genesis 6:5 tells us;
“The wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of thethoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” 
We also read in this same chapter that
 “the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.”(Gen. 6:11).
How did the earth become corrupt? The earth is defiled from the shedding of blood. We see this in thecursing of Cain, that Abel’s blood cried out from the ground for justice (Genesis 4:10). We can onlyimagine that fallen man was killing both man and animal for profit, pleasure, and possibly even forconsumption. There is certainly evidence of this after the flood, for it is said of Nimrod,
“He was amighty hunter before the Lord” 
(Gen. 10:9). We may make the assumption that in the corruption andviolence of the pre-flood world there was blood being shed even for consumption. Because of suchcorruption and violence God washed the earth clean with a flood. As Noah and his sons came off theark with their wives, God made a covenant with them promising never to destroy the earth again byflood (Genesis 9). Then God said to them;
 
 3
“Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, and upon allthat moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are theydelivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herbhave I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof,shall ye not eat.” (Gen. 9:1-4)
At first glance it appears that God is encouraging and approving a very radical change in the diet ofman. No longer was man restricted to eating just fruits, seeds, and herbs. It appears to be that after theflood animal flesh is now permissible in man’s diet. But let us take a closer look at what is being saidhere. First we should note the many similarities between Genesis 1:28-31 and Genesis 9:1-4.I do not believe that God is changing his intended diet for man. The scripture assures us that God doesnot change.
i
Nor do I believe that the Creator is condoning or giving man a new diet. Rather I believethat the Creator is chastising and prophesying about the continued condition of man. We should notethat in this post-flood covenant God is giving to Noah and his sons the same blessing as was given toAdam and Eve. Like Adam and Eve, Noah and his sons, are to be fruitful, to multiply, and to replenishthe earth. While we most often understand the command to replenish the earth to mean to re-populate
Genesis 1:28-31
28 And God blessed them, and Godsaid unto them, Be 
fruitful
, and 
multiply
, and 
replenish
 the earth, and 
subdue
 it: and have 
dominion
 over the fish of the sea, and over thefowl of the air, and over everyliving thing that moveth upon theearth.29 And God said, Behold, 
I havegiven you every herb bearing seed
,which is upon the face of all theearth, and every tree, in the which isthe fruit of a tree yielding seed; toyou it shall be for meat.30 And to every beast of the earth,and to every fowl of the air, and toevery thing that creepeth upon theearth, wherein there is life, I havegiven every green herb for meat:and it was so.31 And God saw every thing that hehad made, and, behold, it was verygood. And the evening and themorning were the sixth day.
Genesis 9:1-4
And God blessed Noah and his sons,and said unto them, Be 
fruitful
, and 
multiply
, and 
replenish
 the earth. 2 And the fear of you and the dreadof you shall be upon every beast ofthe earth, and upon every fowl of theair, upon all that moveth upon theearth, and upon all the fishes of thesea; 
into your hand are theydelivered.
 3 Every moving thing that livethshall be meat for you; even as the 
green herb have I given you allthings.
4 But flesh with the life thereof,which is the blood thereof, shall yenot eat.
Search
Search History:
Searching...
Result 00 of 00
00 results for result for
  • p.
    • Notes
    Load more